Chapter 3
Community sustainability is a growing concern with the rise of climate change. Community
development needs to be built on sustainability principles that recognize the strong ties
between social, economic, and environmental goals.
Sustainability can be defined as focusing on current behavior to benefit future generations.
sustainability is passing on to future generations an average stock of natural resources.
The concept of sustainability can be traced to the Garden City movement established by
Ebenezer Howard in England. The emphasis on bioregional planning promoted by Patrick
Geddes also recognized the growing importance of sustainability. The American New Towns
movement of the 1920s emphasized sustainability principles, as did the communitarian
movement of the 1940s and the urban programs of the Great Society in the 1960s. Additional
emphasis on sustainability was stressed in the “Limits to Growth” argument in the 1960s and
1970s, as well as the self-reliance movement in the 1970s (Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful).
In the 1990s, there were several movements that contributed to our understanding of
Discussion Questions
Ch. 3
1. Sustainability and resilience are often considered interchangeable concepts. Do you think
these two concepts are the same or are there important differences between the two?
2. What are some of the tensions or contradictions between economic, social, and